


I've Got You Now

by queenkong



Category: Miranda (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-18
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2017-11-25 22:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/643819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenkong/pseuds/queenkong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt for moriartysinvisibleblade</p><p>Miranda had avoided a trip to the beach quite successfully, until now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rescue

How Gary and Stevie had convinced her to go on a day trip to the beach she did not know, but now as they drove along on their way to West Wittering Beach, she knew it was too late to back out. 

Stevie had suggested the week before that it would be nice to get out of the shop for the day, and since the weather had remained somewhat warm lately she had decided that she wanted to go to the beach. 

Miranda had been completely against it at the start. She disliked the beach (one too many incidents involving sand), and successfully avoided it, till now. It had taken both Stevie and Gary the whole week before they convinced her that it would be completely fine, and lots of fun.

“Think of all the gorgeous men in speedos!” Stevie had said one afternoon, grinning slightly as she gestured toward Gary. Miranda grinned, and then shook her head to shush her before Gary noticed. 

“I’ll make us a picnic lunch!” Gary chimed in, setting a plate of food in front of her, eyes pleading. 

“Fine. But only because you two won’t stop nagging.” Miranda said, much to everyone’s delight. 

Miranda would never admit it, but she did like the idea of a picnic lunch, not to mention that she’d get to see Gary in his swimwear. Swoon. 

So here she was, sitting in the front seat of Gary’s car, with Stevie, Tilly and Clive in the back, on their way to the beach. They spent the hour and a half trip there singing along to the radio, playing eye spy and just generally enjoying the change of scenery. Miranda found it particularly fun to ask “Are we there yet?” until Gary had threatened to turn around. 

“Here we are!” Gary announced happily as the beach came into view, before finding a parking spot and turning the car off. 

There were acres of lush green grass reserved for picnicking and parking. There were dozens of families already out enjoying the day. The beach itself was quite expansive; with clean white sand and water that was a really tempting shade of blue. Beach huts lined the back of the beach, each painted a different colour. It was a pleasant scene which made Miranda glad she had decided to come. 

They decided to have their picnic lunch first, and spread out the blanket under one of the few trees that was in the area. Gary had made a basket full of sandwiches, salads, and a batch of Miranda's favourite muffins, much to her delight. They devoured their meal and washed it down with a bottle of red and proceeded to chat about how nice it was there. They rested for a little while afterwards, enjoying the lovely sea breeze and soaking in the sun while it lasted. 

"Well I think I've waited long enough." Stevie announced about an hour later, getting to her feet. "I say it's time to get into the water!" She smiled excitedly, before proceeding to slip out of her clothes, revealing a cute blue swimsuit one piece underneath. 

"You really are excited about the beach aren't you." Miranda said with a smile. 

"Yes, and since none of you are as ready as I am I suggest you go and get changed and I will meet you in the water!" 

They heard a shriek from Stevie as she plunged into the water and proceeded to pack up their picnic before heading off to get changed. It was Tilly and Clive who were the first to join Stevie; Tilly sporting a spotted tankini, and Clive in black speedos. Miranda emerged from the change room next, wearing a simple black one piece with ruffles, and walked over to where everyone else had put their things. Laying out her towel, she placed her beach bag on top to stop it from flying away.

"You ready?" Gary asked as he approached her. 

"Yeah." Miranda replied and turned to smile at him but ended up looking slightly amazed at what stood before her instead.

She'd seen Gary with his shirt off a few times before, but somehow he managed to look even more attractive now. He wasn't wearing speedos, but Miranda really didn't mind. He wore a pair of black and white board shorts that hung low on his hips that did wonders for his derriere. 

"I'm feeling very violated right now." Gary said, laughing nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Miranda's eyes snapped up to his, "Sorry, what?" 

Gary smirked slightly, "Nothing. Come on!" He dropped his bag onto the ground before racing toward the water. 

Being the shorter ones of the group, Stevie, Tilly and Clive decided to stay closer to shore, leaving Miranda and Gary to venture further out into the water. When they were finally at a comfortable depth, Gary looked over at Miranda and smiled. 

“I’m glad you decided to come,” he said, swimming closer, “It would’ve been boring without you.” 

“Wave!” Miranda warned. 

Gary looked confused before a wave crashed into him. When he resurfaced, he wiped the water off of his face and coughed to clear his throat. “I’m not used to this,” he said with a soft laugh. 

“Take my hand,” Miranda said, slightly amused, “That way I don’t lose you.” 

Gary smiled shyly in return before taking Miranda’s hand in his. They giggled nervously as was usual, and neither could quite resist looking down at their hands, firmly grasped together as they drifted closer and closer. They moved along with the waves, bobbing up and down in silence, unsure of what to do next. 

After a moment Miranda noticed that Gary had that look in his eyes again and smiled. They were now inches apart, and Gary’s intentions were well and truly known, and Miranda would’ve been more than happy to oblige, save for the wave that was about to crash on top of them if she didn’t say something soon. 

“Hold your breath!” Miranda ordered. 

“What?” Gary said, confused. 

“Wave!” Miranda squealed, before sucking in a breath and diving under the wave, pulling Gary along with her. 

When they resurfaced all Gary could do was laugh. 

“You really need to pay more attention,” Miranda teased.

Gary splashed her playfully in reply, and before long they were having a huge splash battle until they were laughing so loud that people were starting to look. When they had finally settled down, Gary took Miranda’s hand back into his, and they proceeded to drift around in a small circle, talking about whatever came to mind. 

As the wind picked up so did the waves, and it was Gary who noticed the oncoming wave first. In order to avoid it he jumped up, causing Miranda to do the same. They had been in the water for well over an hour now, and Miranda decided she had had enough. 

“I think I might get out and go lie down.” She announced, letting go of Gary’s hand and turning to leave. 

“How about we race back to the beach,” Gary proposed, “and whoever loses has to buy the winner an ice cream?” 

“Sounds like an excellent idea Gary,” Miranda smiled smugly, “I hope you’re ready to lose.” 

“Oh it’s on!” Gary challenged, grinning, “Ready, set,-” and Miranda was off. “Cheat!” Gary called after her, before plunging into the water and making his way back to the beach. 

Waves continued to crash over them as they swam. It didn’t take long before Gary neared the beach and stepped out of the water. He looked around, expecting Miranda to be out of the water already, but she was nowhere in sight. His eyes scanned the water before him, searching for her; where was she? After a moment his expression turned serious, as a whispered “Miranda?” escaped his lips. 

\-----------------------------------------

Miranda had no idea what was happening. Two minutes ago she was well on her way to getting a free ice cream, but something had gone terribly wrong and now she was being thrashed around under water. She had been swimming toward the beach when a wave crashed over her. She had expected to just catch the wave in, but the intensity of it was more than she expected as it held her under the water. She managed to kick the sand beneath her to try and push her toward the surface, and she succeeded, but it wasn’t long until another wave crashed over her, causing her to take in water and begin to panic. 

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she tried desperately to resurface, but the undertow was too strong, she could feel it pulling her away, to where she didn’t know, but she knew this wasn’t going to end well if she didn’t get help soon. Once the water had settled slightly, she managed to resurface. Her eyes as well as her throat and nose burned as she coughed and tried to figure out where her friends were. 

She had been dragged fifty metres away from the shore, and was still moving out to sea. She raised her arm out of the water and waved, and managed to croak out “Help!” though her voice didn’t carry very far. With every breath she could feel herself growing more tired, until she could no longer wave for help and closed her eyes. 

\-----------------------------------------

The next thing she heard was the mumbled chatter that surrounded her. She could feel someone at her side, palms resting over her heart. Her eyes shot open. She would have reacted in some way, except that her throat was burning like hell and before long she was coughing up the water that she had previously swallowed. Her body felt heavy, and she found it difficult to keep her eyes open, until she felt someone squeezing her hand. 

“Gary,” Miranda said softly, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” 

Gary couldn’t help but smile down at his best friend, though she could clearly see the fear etched on his face, “Don’t you scare me like that ever again, you got that?” he said as he rubbed his thumb gently over her cheek, comforting her. 

It wasn't long before Stevie was down at her side too, holding her other hand. 

"Always have to make a big scene don't you." She teased, though Miranda could see that she had scared her little elf of a friend quite substantially. 

"Right, everyone out of the way." Said one of the paramedics that had arrived. "We'll take you to the hospital just to make sure everything's okay." 

Gary and Stevie were asked to move away as Miranda was placed on a gurney and put on oxygen to help her breathe. 

"We'll meet you there okay," Gary said, placing a kiss on her forehead as they wheeled her into the ambulance. 

Ten minutes later and Gary, Stevie, Tilly and Clive were all on their way to the hospital. They were all silent, and Gary looked like he was about to break down at any moment. When they entered the hospital, they were directed to one of the rooms and found Miranda lying in bed facing the window. Silently, they walked into the room, Gary and Stevie on either side of the bed, whilst Tilly and Clive hovered at the end of the bed. Gary looked down at Miranda, who was staring blankly out the window. They had replaced her swimmers with a set of hospital pyjamas, had put a drip in her arm to keep her hydrated, and had given her something for the nausea according to the nurse. 

"They said I’ll be okay and to try and get some rest." Miranda said after a moment, "But every time I close my eyes I just feel like I'm drowning." She drew in a sharp breath and coughed. 

"Move over." Gary said, sitting down on the edge of the bed before lying back and pulling Miranda into his arms. "I've got you now okay?" He said, gently stroking her arm. “You’re safe.” 

"Is there anything else you need?" Stevie asked, placing Miranda’s bag at the end of the bed. 

Miranda thought about that for a moment. 

"There is one thing." she said, then looked up at Gary, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. 

"What?" Gary and Stevie asked simultaneously. 

"Gary owes me an ice cream."

Gary laughed and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket then handed it to Stevie, who was looking slightly confused. 

“We were racing. Loser had to buy the winner an ice cream, and I would’ve won if the sea hadn’t tried to claim me.” Miranda explained.

“Right…” Stevie replied, “Come on Tilly, Clive.” She gestured for them to follow as she exited the room, and soon Miranda and Gary were left alone.

“Try and get some rest.” Gary said gently, shuffling slightly to get more comfortable. “I have a feeling the others aren’t going to be back any time soon.” He smiled and began to run his fingers up and down Miranda’s back, coaxing her body to relax. Miranda draped her arm across Gary’s stomach, half hugging him and nuzzled into his chest. 

“You were right you know,” Miranda mumbled. 

“Right about what?” 

“It would’ve been boring without me.” 

Gary huffed. Though he knew that making fun of things was how Miranda coped, so he went along with it. “You’re ridiculous.” He said with a smile, placing another kiss on her forehead, 'but I love you,' he thought. 

And when Stevie, Tilly and Clive returned an hour later, both Gary and Miranda were fast asleep in each other’s arms.


	2. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miranda's back from the hospital and decides to conduct an experiment

Miranda had ended up staying at the hospital for several hours, until the doctor's were satisfied that no permanent damage had been done and had headed straight to bed the minute she'd gotten home. 

Tilly and Clive smiled comfortingly at Stevie and Gary, offering their help if need be, before going their separate ways. 

"You must be starving," Stevie said after a moment, looking down at Gary who had collapsed on the couch. He hadn't eaten anything since lunch time, and it was nearing nine o'clock at night. 

"I'm fine." Gary said, sitting up. "Why don't you head off home and I'll stay here to keep an eye on her." 

"I don't mind staying." Stevie replied, though she knew she wasn't going to win this one. 

"It's fine really. I'll call you if she needs anything." Gary smiled, before standing and ushering Stevie out of the flat. "Go get some rest, I'll see you in the morning." 

"You'll call?" Stevie said, wanting to make sure. 

"Yes." Gary replied with a yawn, "Now go and get some rest." 

Stevie nodded and smiled, before heading out of the shop and calling a cab home. 

Gary made sure that the shop was locked and all the lights were switched off before heading back up into Miranda's flat. He stood for a moment silently gazing at Miranda's bedroom door, and wondered whether or not he should check on her. He decided that just a quick look would do no harm, and peered into the room. He could see the dark outline of Miranda's body on the bed. She seemed to be well and truly asleep, which put Gary's mind more at ease. 

Walking back into the main area of the flat, Gary decided that it probably was a good idea to eat something and proceeded to go through Miranda's cupboards and fridge, and settled for a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich. When he finished his meal, he went through his normal bed time routine and then set up the fold out bed in the lounge. Kicking off his shoes, he stripped down to his boxer shorts and slipped into the bed, and before long he was fast asleep. The events of the day finally taking its toll. 

An hour or two passed when Gary felt the bed dip beside him, causing him to wake. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he watched as Miranda slipped into the bed beside him and gently wrapped his arm around her waist. 

"Miranda what are you doing?" Gary asked, rubbing his eyes. 

"Experimenting," Miranda whispered, "Go back to sleep."

But Gary was wide awake now. He knew something was up because Miranda had never done this before, had never actually come to him like this, and it made him wonder. He lay still for a moment, feeling their bodies fall into sync as they breathed. 

"You're shaking." He said after a moment, propping himself up onto one elbow. He gently pulled at her waist, until she rolled over so they were facing each other. He could see now that Miranda had been crying, the tear stains still fresh on her cheeks. A sigh escaped his lips as he ran his thumb over her cheek, “What happened?” 

"I had a nightmare that's all." Miranda sighed, rubbing at her eyes frantically, "Now will you please just hold me?" she asked, before snuggling into his chest and moving his arm back over her waist. 

She'd been dreaming about the incident no doubt, which made Gary hug her closer, if it was comfort she wanted than he was willing to give it to her.

\-----------------------------------------

Stevie had returned to her cheery self as she unlocked the door to the shop and stepped inside. Setting her things down behind the counter, she proceeded to turn on the lights, before heading up to Miranda's flat. She rapped three times on the door, and when there was no answer she quietly stepped inside. 

She didn't know how to react to the scene before her. Gary and Miranda were sleeping soundly on the sofa bed, spooning. Miranda had her back pressed into Gary, his breath gently tickling the back of her neck. He had one arm around her waist, while the other was being used as a pillow. What surprised Stevie the most however, was the fact that they were holding hands. 

Stevie sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was wake them, but Clive needed Gary back at the restaurant, and Penny was coming to visit. Best get it over with now before people started to bombard them with speculating questions. 

Walking over to the kitchen, she set the kettle to boil and prepared three cups of tea. She was making quite a racket when finally there was movement on the sofa bed. It was Miranda. She groaned loudly before coughing and sitting up. Feeling the movement beside him Gary's eyes sprung open, his hand reaching up to rub Miranda on the back. 

"Gary, shouldn't you be somewhere?" Stevie said, leaning against the kitchen counter as she sipped her tea. 

Gary froze, hand still on Miranda's back. "What time is it?" 

"Time to get a watch?" Miranda replied, grinning to herself.

Gary and Stevie laughed. Either Miranda was feeling better, or she was hiding that she wasn't very well. 

Gary sat up and stretched. "I suppose Clive needs me back at the restaurant." he sighed, "Mind if I use your shower?" 

"Go ahead," Miranda said, waving her arm in the general direction of the bathroom. 

Once Gary had showered and dressed, he gulped down the tea Stevie had made for him and walked over to Miranda who was now sitting at the dining room table. 

"If you feel up to it, come down to the restaurant later and I'll cook something for you." He said with a sympathetic smile, squeezing her shoulder, before heading out of the flat. 

"You know, I wasn't expecting to walk in on you two cuddling." Stevie said after a moment, going over to the sofa bed and putting it back into its original state. 

Miranda sipped her tea, saying nothing. 

"Fine. Fine. You don't have to tell me," Stevie said with a shrug, "I'll be down in the shop if you need me." she added, heading over to the door. "Oh, and your mother is coming." and with that, she went downstairs. 

Miranda groaned again. 

With her mind running at a hundred miles per hour and her heart feeling like it would leap out of her chest at any moment, the last thing she needed was to see her mother. But alas, she didn't have a choice in the matter, and decided to collapse back onto the sofa and wait.

\-----------------------------------------

It was nearing six o'clock at night when Miranda was finally able to retreat back into her flat. Her mother had come not long after Stevie left to open the shop that morning. To Miranda's delight, Penny had prepared a boring lecture about water safety, hospital etiquette and retold the story of how she was saved by a hunky swimmer in her late twenties. 

It didn't comfort Miranda in the slightest. 

When Penny had finally left, Miranda had decided that a relaxing bath was in order. She had filled the tub with water and bubble bath, stripped out of her clothes and gently lowered herself into the water. She tried her best to close off her thoughts, but as soon as she shut her eyes, she could feel the waves crashing over her once more and her heart began to race.

"This is ridiculous!" she sobbed as she got out of the tub, realising that the one thing that could help her relax now frightened her. She spent the next ten minutes scolding herself, before deciding that she really didn't want to be alone for the time being. So she had gotten dressed and went down to sit behind the counter in the shop. 

Miranda could see that Stevie clearly had a lot of questions she wanted answered, but let her mull over it until she had had enough. 

"Spill it." Stevie demanded, sitting beside Miranda with a freshly brewed cup of tea in her hands, with no intention to move until Miranda spoke. 

"What do you want me to say?" Miranda asked, slightly annoyed. "I'm fine, really. I just couldn't sleep last night that's all." she muttered, that was all Stevie was going to get. 

"And you're fine with sleeping with Gary now?" Stevie asked, "What happened to avoiding the brink?" 

"I nearly drowned yesterday!" Miranda said incredulously, getting up. "I'm going to the restaurant." 

There was no way that Miranda was going to admit that every time she closed her eyes she felt like she was drowning. Or that she was terrified of having a bath. Or that the only way she could feel safe was when Gary had his arms around her. She didn’t mention how many times Gary saying “I’ve got you now, you’re safe,” played over in her head. Her mind was a mess, and she had a hard enough time trying to admit it to herself, let alone another person.

So she had spent the remainder of her day at the restaurant, where Gary made her a delicious pasta and gave her ice cream afterwards to soothe her throat. She did her best to appear lively and chatted away with Clive who, thankfully, avoided any conversation to do with the events of the previous day. 

Even Tilly had come by and talked about plans to catch up with their boarding school chums. Although Miranda knew that the real reason she stopped by was to check on her.

As the day went on, she grew tired, but had no intention of leaving until Gary told her to go.

"I've made you some chicken noodle soup for dinner." He said, handing her a take away container. "Why don't you head on home and watch some telly, and I'll come over after work?" He suggested, but Miranda shook her head. 

"No, no. Don't worry about it." She smiled, "I'm fine, really. And you've done more than enough." She stood and made her way to the door. 

"You sure?" Gary asked, trying not to look concerned. 

"Yes." Miranda replied, "Thanks for the soup!" And with that, she left.

Stevie was waiting for her in the shop, offering to keep her company, but Miranda declined. 

"I'm fine." She said, "I think I might just laze around and watch Poirot for a bit."

"Okay." Stevie replied, "Call me if you need anything!" 

So here she was, sitting on the couch with her chicken noodle soup watching Poirot. She was quite proud of her efforts that day, and was feeling a little better. Though later on that night as she tossed and turned in her bed, she realised that maybe she wasn’t alright at all.


	3. Trust Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been three days since the incident and Miranda's fooling no one. They know something is up, and Gary conducts an experiment of his own.

It had been three days since the incident. Three days since Miranda's state of mind was turned on its head. And it had been two days since she had gotten a proper night’s sleep. She managed to doze off every now and then, but could never stay asleep for long as nightmares were now a common occurrence. She had tried time and time again to relax in the bath, but the feeling of being submerged in water made her skin crawl.

Gary and Stevie made daily visits. Gary provided her with food, and Stevie helped distract her from her thoughts by giving her things to do around the shop. If they thought something was up, they definitely weren't letting on that they knew, not to her anyway. 

What Miranda didn't know was that Stevie and Gary had been updating each other when she was in her flat. They knew perfectly well that Miranda was not as fine as she kept saying she was, and grew more worried as the days went by and she became more withdrawn.  
"You've got to talk to her Gary," Stevie said that afternoon. 

"What makes you think she's going to tell me anything?" Gary asked, "She doesn't want anyone worrying about her." 

"Oh don't give me that rubbish!" Stevie scoffed, "You know perfectly well how much she trusts you."

"Fine, okay." Gary said, though he didn't need much convincing. "I'll make her some dinner and knock off early from work." 

"Excellent." Stevie replied, making her way out of the restaurant. "Bring some of those muffins she likes too."

\-------------------------------

At around seven o'clock that night, Gary left the restaurant and headed over to Miranda's flat, armed with her favourite Indian curry for dinner, and muffins for dessert. Using the spare key that Stevie had given him, he let himself into the shop, made sure to lock the door behind him and headed up the stairs. He didn't bother to knock, just let himself in and set down the food on the kitchen counter. 

The flat seemed relatively empty. "Miranda?" he called out, grabbing some plates from the cupboard and preparing their dinner. "I brought some food with me, thought we could just hang out for a bit." Silence. "Miranda?" he called out again. Nothing. Surely she was here; otherwise Stevie would have said something. Setting the plates down on the table, he went to check the other rooms. First he peered into her bedroom, thinking that maybe she was asleep, but her bed was empty. He then stopped outside the bathroom and knocked. "Miranda?" Silence. He pushed the door open and stepped in. 

He found Miranda sitting inside the empty bath in her underwear, knees hugged tight to her chest and her forehead resting upon them. She had her arms wrapped around the tops of her legs, and was shaking slightly. Gary walked over to her and knelt beside the tub. 

"Miranda?" he asked, gently placing a hand on her arm. "What are you doing?"

Miranda mumbled something inaudible, not bothering to lift her head. 

"What?" Gary said, loosening her grip and taking her hand into his. 

Miranda lowered her legs and looked up, she looked exhausted, and she had been crying again. "I'm...having a bath?" she shrugged, then laughed, but it felt completely wrong. 

Gary cupped her face with his hand, his thumb gently rubbing at her cheek. "Miranda, the bath is empty." 

"Yes." Miranda replied, laughing again. 

"Let me fill it up for you." Gary offered, moving to turn on the tap. But before he could, he felt Miranda's hand reach over to stop him. 

"Don't." 

"Wh-" He didn't understand. 

"I can't." She got up, Gary offered his arm to help her, and she took it. "You said you brought some dinner with you?" she asked, after wrapping herself in her bath robe. 

Gary nodded. "Yeah uh, it's all ready and waiting." She was avoiding an explanation, again. But Gary knew now wasn't the right time to push. 

They sat at the table and ate. Gary filled the silence with talk of his day, while Miranda did her best to laugh and smile and react accordingly, though she wasn't fooling any one. When they were done, Gary cleared the table, picked up the muffins from the counter and walked back over to Miranda, extending his hand. Miranda looked up at him and looked like she might cry again, but instead took his hand, and let him lead her over to the sofa.   
They sat; each wondering what on earth was going through the other's mind. And after a moment, Miranda reached out to take a muffin, but Gary withdrew. 

"I'll let you eat one," he said, holding the scrumptious little cake in front of her, "But only if you talk to me." 

"What's there to talk about Gary?" Miranda replied, annoyed, how dare he try to tempt her with cake, even the notion! "I'm fine!" 

He gave her the muffin anyway. "Miranda, you can't keep pretending everything is okay when clearly it isn't." She remained silent, nibbling at the cake. Gary thought it best just to get everything out now, get it over with quickly, like a band aid. "Stevie and I have been worried for days." he continued, watching her face for any sort of reaction. "You're trying to act like you're fine, but I can see that you're exhausted and I found you crying in the bath. You're not fooling any one anymore." He took her empty hand in his. "Just talk to me Miranda, maybe then I can try and help you." 

Miranda looked down at their hands. It was funny how such a simple gesture could make her feel able to just let go of everything she had bottled up inside. She set the muffin down on the coffee table and cleared her throat. 

"I'm tired, Gary, and scared." she said with a sigh. "I haven't slept properly for two days because every time I try to sleep I end up having nightmares about what happened." 

"But-" 

"Shush!" she snapped, "Do you want me to talk or not?"

"Sorry." Gary mumbled. 

"This is really stupid," she muttered, turning her attention back to their hands, "But I'm scared of the bath. Well, not the tub, but sitting in the water." She laughed again. Not daring to look up. Gary probably thought she was overreacting. They were silent for a moment, before Gary stood. 

"Come on." he tugged at her hand, pulling her up. 

"Where are we going?" Miranda asked, confused. 

Gary didn't say a word. Instead he led her to the bathroom and shut the door behind them. He let go of Miranda's hand, leaving her to watch as he filled the tub with water, adding some bubble bath to the liquid. He began taking off his clothes, leaving only his boxers on, when Miranda's curiosity finally hit its peak. 

"Gary what on earth are you doing?" 

"Experimenting." He said, turning off the tap and testing the water. If this didn't work he was going to feel like an idiot, but it was worth a shot.   
He got into the tub and made himself comfortable, with his back pressed against the end of the tub, legs outstretched. He looked up at Miranda, who was still looking at him like he'd lost his mind, but he extended his hand out to her anyway, beckoning her. "Trust me?" 

Miranda stared for a moment, wondering how on earth she had gotten herself into this situation. Only a few days ago she would have squealed with delight over a mostly naked Gary in her bath tub. But here she was, looking into his pleading eyes, not knowing exactly what to do. 

Her body, it seemed, knew exactly what to do. She began to laugh as she disrobed and took Gary's hand. She flinched when she got into the tub and felt the water encompass her, but before long Gary had his arms around her and it wasn't so bad any more.

"I've got you now." Gary whispered, as Miranda leant back, resting her head on his shoulder "You're safe." 

And that's when she kissed him. 

It had been easy, really. He had already been watching her, so all she had to do was lift her head a little to make their lips touch. The kiss was soft, barely lasting more than a few seconds. She had caught Gary off guard too, his eyes wide as she broke the kiss, her own heart racing as they realised what had just happened. 

Neither of them said anything for a little while after. It was only when Gary noticed that Miranda was crying when he said something. 

"You're crying again." he said, his grip tightening slightly around her. "Why are you crying?" 

"I'm not entirely sure," Miranda replied, laughing again, though she sounded relieved. 

"Would it be safe to say that you're feeling a little...overwhelmed?" Gary asked. 

"Yes." She replied, still laughing, and before long they were both giggling hysterically.

When the laughter finally faded, Miranda turned her head to look up at Gary. 

"Will you stay?" She asked quietly. 

"Okay."


	4. Realisation

It had been nearly three weeks since the incident and Miranda couldn’t be happier. She was finally in a better state of mind, the nightmare’s had finally stopped, and she had had so many baths that she was surprised she didn’t permanently look like a prune. 

And Gary, her knight in shining armour, had been a total sweetheart through it all. He’d stayed with her as much as he could, only leaving to go to work or back home whenever he’d run out of clean clothes and when Miranda told him to take a day off.

They’d organised it so that Gary would be out of her flat before Stevie arrived each morning to work. Neither of them wanted to deal with the onslaught of questions that would no doubt arise if she found out. How they had kept it under wraps for this long baffled Miranda, but she was better, and she was happy and that’s all that mattered. 

What neither of them realised though was just how “couply” they had become. Everyone had noticed the glances they gave each other when the other wasn’t looking. Everyone had noticed that there was no longer a personal space issue. And everyone had noticed how much happier they both seemed.

They’d slipped into a “relationship” of sorts without even a second thought. 

And it was starting to make Stevie suspicious. 

“You seem extra cheery this morning.” Stevie said, as Miranda skipped down the stairs. 

“It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep and a bubble bath can do for one’s mood.” Miranda replied, straightening up one of the displays. 

“Gary seems to be extra cheery these days too.” Stevie said, watching Miranda for a reaction. She didn’t get one. 

“Gary’s always cheery.” 

Stevie didn’t buy it.

“I’m going to the restaurant.” Miranda said, grabbing her coat and heading for the door. “See you later.” 

Stevie nibbled at her lip in thought, looking around the empty shop and decided that it wouldn’t hurt to close the shop for a few minutes while she ducked out. Grabbing her coat she walked over to the door and flipped over the open sign and stepped out. She had some investigating to do.

\-------------------------------- 

Miranda walked into the restaurant, a wide smile spread across her face. She couldn't wait to tell Gary her news. 

"What are you smiling about?" Clive asked, looking at her suspiciously before taking a swig from his drink. 

"Why is everyone questioning me this morning?" Miranda asked, "Aren't I allowed to be happy?" 

"Of course you are." Gary said, coming out of the kitchen and placing a freshly baked chocolate cake on the bar. "How'd you sleep?" He'd made a habit of asking whenever he didn't stay over. 

"That's what I came to talk to you about actually." Miranda said, as Gary rounded the bar to stand beside her.

"And?" Gary asked, nervous. 

"I did it!" Miranda declared happily, grabbing Gary by the shoulders and shaking him slightly with excitement. 

"Did what?" Gary asked, laughing. 

"I got a full night’s sleep AND I just had the most amazing bath...by myself!" She leapt forward and hugged him, nearly knocking him to the ground. 

Gary wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her back. "That's brilliant Miranda." he said, smiling. "I told you it was only a matter of time."

"Thank you," Miranda said, letting go of him. "I couldn't have done it without you." she leant forward and pecked him on the cheek. 

"Suppose you won't be needing me anymore then." Gary said, laughing lightly to cover up his disappointment.

Miranda's face fell slightly. 

"Excuse me," Stevie piped up, raising her eyebrows at the pair of them as she walked into the restaurant. "What is going on here? Hmm?" She gestured to the two of them, before leaning forward expectantly. "Bathing and sleeping by yourself?" 

Both Miranda and Gary stared wide eyed at one another, having forgotten that they were in fact in a public space. 

"Have you two been sleeping together?" Stevie asked. 

"No!" Miranda and Gary replied in unison. 

Stevie placed her hands on her hips, not at all convinced. "You're such terrible liars!" she scoffed. 

"What's going on here?" Penny asked, walking into the restaurant with Tilly. 

Miranda stepped in front of Stevie and smiled widely at her mother. "Nothing's happening. Why on earth would something be happening? There's nothing going on here." She muttered, grabbing Stevie by the arm and pulling her out of the restaurant. "So sorry but Stevie needs my help in the shop!" And with that they left the restaurant, leaving Penny, Tilly and Clive all looking confusedly at one another, whilst Gary hurriedly went back to work to avoid any questions that wandered his way. 

\----------------------------------------

“Sit.” Miranda ordered, grabbing a beanbag and pulling it over next to a chair before sitting down. 

Stevie sat down obediently, still looking slightly confused and annoyed. 

“You’re not going to stop prying now, so I might as well tell you.” Miranda said, clearing her throat. 

Stevie opened her mouth to say something but Miranda held a finger to her lips, shushing her. Stevie sank back down into the beanbag and waited. 

“Technically Gary and I have been sleeping together.” Miranda said. 

“I knew it!” Stevie said with a grin. 

“Not in the way you think though!” Miranda snapped, “I mean literally sleeping, not sex.”

Stevie cocked her head to the side, confused again. 

“I’ve had trouble sleeping, since what happened. And the only way I could switch off and relax was if Gary was with me.” 

“Like that time at the hospital?” 

Miranda nodded. 

“And when I found you two-.” 

“Yes.” 

“But you’re okay now?” 

“I’m more than okay.” Miranda said. 

“Are you two together?” Stevie asked. 

Miranda looked down, before standing abruptly and walking over to the counter, pretending to be interested in a pair of novelty glasses. “We’re just friends Stevie, that’s all. I needed some help and Gary gave it to me. That’s what friends do.” Her mind wandered back to the first night they had had a bath together and how she’d kissed him. Yes, she had had a crush on Gary for god knows how long, but when she had kissed him it had been just a simple gesture of thanks, hadn’t it? “Besides, if he wanted more he would’ve done something by now.” 

Stevie stood and walked over to sit behind the counter. She reached out and took Miranda’s hands in hers, and smiled. “You really haven’t cottoned on yet have you?” She said, laughing softly. “What do you think Gary’s been doing the past few weeks?” 

Miranda looked over at Stevie and shrugged. “We’re just friends Stevie.” She said again. 

“Oh don’t give me that rubbish!” Stevie said, “I’ve seen the way you look at each other.”

“We don-.” 

“Shush.” Stevie said. It was her time to talk now. “You’ve both been so happy lately.” She went on, noticing that Miranda was beginning to blush. “I mean you’re pretty much in a relationship already, you just haven’t realised it yet.”

Miranda’s heart fluttered in her chest at the thought of it, but she couldn’t believe it. “Don’t be ridiculous.” she said.   
“I’m not!” Stevie said, “Everyone’s been gossiping. You two really aren’t good at hiding your feelings.” She laughed again. 

Miranda remained silent for a moment, Stevie’s words tossing over in her mind. As much as it terrified her, she knew she had feelings for Gary. She’d had feelings for him for a very long time, but she never thought that Gary would feel the same. 

“What do I do?” Miranda asked quietly, looking her best friend in the eye, feeling slightly hopeless. She’d never been any good when it came to relationships.

“Just tell him how you feel.” Stevie said with a smile, squeezing Miranda’s hand in comfort. “Like I said, you’re basically in a relationship already, you just have to…make it official, I guess.” She shrugged. “You’ve been doing fine for the past three weeks, so why stop now?” 

Miranda let go of Stevie’s hands and sighed. “It can’t be that easy.” She whined. 

“Why do you always have to make everything so difficult Miranda?”

But before Stevie could start another lecture, Miranda was already at the top of the stairs, shutting the door to the flat behind her.

Walking over to the sofa, Miranda sat. "What's this?" she muttered to herself, lifting herself and removing whatever it was that had found its way on to the sofa. It was one of her fruit friends. Well, it was the one Gary had made one night when he was over. He'd called it Gary and said that now he'd always be with her. It had made them laugh. Placing the orange on the coffee table, she slunk back into the sofa and sighed. 

Thinking back on it now, the last three weeks had been so easy. It felt normal, it felt like home. The only time she had actually asked Gary to stay with her was the night she'd kissed him. Every other night after that Gary had stayed without question. They didn't talk all that much because they never felt like they needed to. They often spent time just watching crappy television together in silence. Or, if they were feeling particularly giddy they'd mute the volume and provide their own dialogue until their cheeks hurt from smiling.

Then there was the first time Gary had slept in her bed. It had been nearly a week after the incident and Gary had to stay late at work for a function. Miranda had been too exhausted to wait up for him, so when he walked into the flat at around midnight, she had snuggled up into her bed. It was only when she'd woken up the next morning that she realised Gary was beside her, his arm draped lazily over her hip. It had felt extremely intimate for something so simple and innocent. 

Miranda's thoughts went back to what Stevie had said. Had they really fallen into a relationship without knowing it? Were they really that oblivious? "No." she muttered to herself, shaking her head. No. Looking back at it now she understood perfectly well what Stevie was talking about. She’d known what she wanted from the get go, and after the incident it had been so easy to use the situation to get what she wanted, even if it wasn’t the right way to go about it. 

Stevie was right. She had to tell Gary. She couldn’t use her fear as an excuse any longer. She couldn't just spurt out "I love you" though, could she? Even the thought of it made her restless. She wasn't the type to talk about things seriously, she'd much rather avoid those kinds of situations or turn them into a joke, but this? This felt like one of the biggest moments of her life thus far and it was absolutely terrifying.


	5. The Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miranda needs to tell Gary how she feels. But Gary's got a plan of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to faithandlovewillkeepmestrong for her suggestions and encouragement. I don't think I would've been able to write this without her.

Several hours had passed since Miranda had locked herself away in her flat. She’d spent a good hour and a half playing out different scenarios in her head, sometimes using Gary the fruit friend to practice with, though he turned out to be very useless in the end. 

“This is so pointless.” Miranda groaned, finally deciding to make the effort to get off the sofa and do something productive. 

She began to tidy up her flat. It wasn’t something she did often, but she needed to keep busy in an attempt to drown out her thoughts. She put away all of her dvds, cleaned the dishes and even resorted to dusting down every surface before going in to her room. She noted the bag of clothes beside the door, and a pair of Gary’s pyjamas draped over the chair in the corner before making her bed and sitting herself down at the end of it. 

‘I wonder if he’d notice if one of his shirts went missing,’ she pondered, wondering why she’d never thought of stealing one of them before. It must’ve been the thought of never getting to sleep with him again that brought it out. She sighed, clapping her hands to her face and falling backwards onto the bed. 

“Miranda?” It was Stevie. 

Miranda removed her hands from her face. “I’m in here.” 

Miranda listened as Stevie placed something on the kitchen bench, and then walked toward Miranda’s room. Stevie didn’t say a word; she merely walked over to the bed and laid down beside Miranda. 

“What are you doing?” Miranda asked, turning her head. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Stevie replied. 

Miranda sat up, rested her elbows on her knees and cupped her face in her palms. “What do I do Stevie?” she whined. 

Stevie sat up and wrapped her arms around her best friend. “How about we discuss this over a pizza?” she said, letting go of Miranda and standing. “Come on.” She took one of Miranda’s hands and dragged her friend out into the living room. 

The pair of them moved over to the sofa, sitting cross legged on either end with the pizza Stevie had bought in between them. They sat quietly for a few minutes, eagerly stuffing their faces with food, neither knowing what exactly to say. 

“Okay.” Stevie said after swallowing a mouthful of food. “Do you love him?” 

Miranda coughed, startled by Stevie’s question. “What?” 

“I said do you love him?” Stevie repeated. Of course, she already knew the answer, but she needed Miranda to say it herself. 

“You know how I feel about him Stevie.” 

“Yes, but do you love him?” 

“Of course I love him Stevie!” Miranda said, almost angrily. 

“Then that’s what you tell him Miranda.”

“I can’t just blurt out I love you Stevie, have you gone mad?” 

“You’re the one that’s gone mad my massive friend.” Stevie said, causing Miranda to scowl. “You can’t keep avoiding it Miranda. You owe it to yourself and to him. Just think about it okay.” She looked down at her watch, her lunch break was over. “I’ll be down in the shop if you need me.” She took another piece of pizza from the box before slipping off of the couch and heading back downstairs.

Miranda sighed. She hated it when Stevie was right. And she hated the fact that she was making a mountain out of a mole hill. All she had to do was tell him. It was as simple as that. Getting up from the sofa, she put the leftover pizza in the fridge and headed down to Stevie in the shop. 

“I’m going to tell him.” She said, walking down the stairs. 

“Tell him what?” 

Miranda froze. It was Gary. Of course it was Gary. 

“Tell him, I mean, you, that you’ve still got clothes in my flat.” Miranda muttered quickly, walking over to stand behind the counter with Stevie, who was looking at her with a raised brow. 

“Oh, right.” Gary said, “I should probably take those back.”

“There’s no rush.” Miranda said, looking over at him. They locked eyes for a second too long. What was she doing? 

Stevie rolled her eyes. “What she means is that-.” Miranda pushed her away, silencing her before she could say anything more. 

“Right.” Gary said, slightly confused. “I’ve got to get back to the restaurant. Just wanted to let you know that Clive and I are having a few drinks after close tonight, and you’re welcome to come. Stevie too.”

“Oh that sounds great.” Miranda smiled. “We’ll be there.” 

\------------------------------------

That night Miranda found herself watching as her friends were able to let loose and have fun, while she sat at the bar drowning out her thoughts with a bottle of wine. Stevie had managed to get her up for a bit of karaoke, but it wasn’t long before she was ready to head home. She bid farewell to her friends and walked the small distance back to her flat. She didn’t bother changing into her pyjamas, merely crashed onto her bed, hoping that sleep would consume her. 

It didn’t. 

\----------------------------------

Much to her distaste, the following day Miranda was put on shop duty, as Stevie had errands to run. She managed to get herself dressed and trudged down to the shop, where Stevie met her with a nice hot cup of tea. 

“You look awful.” Stevie said, writing down a few notes in her notepad before shoving it back into her handbag. 

“I couldn’t sleep last night.” Miranda mumbled, stifling a yawn. 

“All the more reason you should tell him.” Stevie said. “I shouldn’t be long. Try not to pass out in front of the customers.” And with that, she flipped the sign on the door to ‘open’ and left. 

\--------------------------------------- 

Once Stevie had returned to the shop, Miranda had bid her farewell and returned to her flat. She stripped out of her clothes as she made her way to the bathroom and filled the tub. Once the tub was full and had just the right amount of bubble bath, she sank down into the water and closed her eyes, drifting off into a blissfully blank sleep. 

She woke up a couple of hours later, looking very much like a dried up prune and feeling more tired than ever. Getting out of the tub, she dried herself off before wrapping herself up in her bathrobe and making her way to her room, picking up the clothes she’d dropped from earlier as she went. 

She put on a fresh pair of panties and her pyjama bottoms before walking over to the chair in the corner of her room and picking up Gary’s shirt. She held it in her hands for a moment, letting the plain dark blue fabric brush against her. There was nothing wrong with wearing it for a little while, right? She thought, before slipping it on over her head. It hugged her a little tighter then she would’ve liked, but it still smelt faintly of him, and it was like she was in his arms again. 

She pulled her duvet from the bed and dragged it out into the lounge, deciding to watch some crap telly on the couch in an attempt to distract herself. She must have found the programs on the telly extremely boring, as she woke up to the sound of someone knocking on her door several hours later. 

Getting up from the couch, she rubbed at her eyes and yawned before opening the door. 

“Hi.” It was Gary. It was always Gary. 

“What are you doing here?” Miranda asked, wide eyed and completely aware of how terrible she must have looked. 

“I just thought that maybe since I’d cured your sleeping problems I could take a stab at teaching you how to bake.” Gary smiled. “Is now a bad time?” He looked concerned.

“Oh no no it’s fine. I just fell asleep on the couch that’s all.” Miranda said, stepping out of the way to let him in. “Are you sure this is a good idea though? You do remember what happened the last time you tried to teach me to cook don’t you?” They’d gotten food everywhere, fought like a married couple and had almost snogged. Oh yes, they both remembered that. 

“Is that my shirt you’re wearing?” Gary asked, changing the subject. 

“What? No!” Miranda muttered quickly, “No no it’s just something I found lying around in my closet.” 

Gary grinned, he thought that shirt looked familiar. “You can keep it if you want.” He said, walking over to place the paper bags full of groceries on the bench. “It looks good on you.”

Miranda blushed. “So, what is it exactly that you’re going to try and teach me to make?” 

“Nothing too complicated.” Gary said, emptying the contents of the bags onto the bench. “We’re going to make a chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting. Sound good?”

“Sounds extraordinary!” Miranda said happily, walking over to look at all of the ingredients. 

Half an hour had passed and the kitchen was a mess. Miranda had managed to get flour all over the place, had dropped egg shell into the mix, and had accidentally spilled a third of the batter onto the counter. 

“I did warn you.” Miranda said, causing them both to giggle. 

“I think you’re making great progress.” Gary said, pouring what was left of the cake batter into a cake tin and putting it into the oven. “Come on, we’ll make the frosting while we wait.” He put all the ingredients for the frosting into a bowl and handed Miranda the handheld electric mixer. 

“You really want to trust me with that?” Miranda asked, laughing. 

Gary pressed the device into her hand and gestured to the bowl of ingredients. Wrapping her fingers around the handle, Miranda placed the beater into the bowl and switched it on. Her hand shook violently as she tried to mix the ingredients, and she looked up at Gary worryingly, she never realised how scary baking could be.

Gary moved forward and placed his right hand over hers, helping her to steady the mixer and mix the ingredients. “See? It’s not that hard.” 

Miranda wasn’t paying attention to what Gary was saying; she was too busy enjoying the touch of his hand on hers and the closeness of his body. They’d only spent a couple of nights apart and being this close to him again made her heart flutter. 

“Miranda?” Gary said, squeezing her hand. 

“What?” She looked up, slightly dazed. 

“You can stop mixing now.” Gary said with a laugh, taking the mixer from her hands and turning it off. “Here.” He added, taking the beaters off and handing her one. “This is the best bit.” He said with a grin, running his finger along the steel, gathering frosting before popping it into his mouth. 

“Oh I definitely agree. This part I am very good at doing.” Miranda grinned back. 

“We should probably clean up this mess.” Gary said, looking down at the cake batter on the counter. 

“Or…” Miranda said, feeling particularly daring, and wiping some of the batter off the counter and into her hand. Gary watched her and cautiously took a step back. “We could have a…FOOD FIGHT!” Miranda yelled as she clapped her hand down onto Gary’s head, covering his hair and forehead with cake batter. 

Gary stared agape at her, running his fingers through his hair. “Oh you did not just do that!” He said darkly, before grabbing an egg from the carton and breaking it over Miranda’s head before she could escape. Miranda squealed and ran her fingers through her egg laden hair, it felt absolutely disgusting. She bent down to pick up the remainder of the cake batter to throw at Gary, but before she could stand up Gary was pouring flour down the back of her top.

“Gary Preston!” Miranda yelled. 

“Yes?” Gary replied, grinning. That cheeky bastard. 

Miranda glared at him, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips. She closed the distance between them and clapped her batter covered hand to his face, and let it drag down over his lips, down his neck and finally his chest, before letting her hand drop to her side. She stepped back and admired her work, a satisfied smile plastered on her face. 

Gary fell silent, watching her. He couldn’t let her win this. After a moment his eyes turned to look at the bowl of frosting on the bench. Miranda’s eyes followed his gaze, and before long they were both leaping for it, trying to get the upper hand. Gary managed to swipe the bowl out of her reach and scooped the contents into his hand. 

“Come here.” He said, taking a step toward her. Miranda shook her head and took a step back, unable to control her laughter. Gary raised his eyebrows. “Fine.” He said, looking down at the frosting in his hand and shrugging. 

He waited patiently, counting back from five in his head. The minute he reached zero he leapt forward, but Miranda was ready. She darted around the table and Gary chased her around the flat, both laughing uncontrollably. It wasn’t long before Gary managed to grab Miranda by the arm, preventing her from running, and repaying her earlier gesture by smothering her face with the frosting. They stood and laughed at themselves for a good five minutes before they fell silent, eyes locked together. 

“What a waste of frosting!” Miranda said in mock horror, breaking the silence.

Gary grinned. “It’s only a waste if we don’t put it to good use.” 

Miranda’s breath hitched in her throat. He was looking at her with an intensity that made her weak at the knees. Before she could say or do anything though, Gary had wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him, and before she knew it, he was kissing her. 

It was an equally odd and wonderful sensation. She had her hand pressed up against Gary’s chest, and could feel his heart racing just like her own. His lips were gliding easily over hers, the cake batter and frosting lending themselves well to the situation. She felt her own lips exploring, tasting, and before long her other hand had found its way into his air, tugging on it lightly. 

Gary captured her bottom lip and bit into it gently, causing her cheeks to catch fire; this was definitely the greatest kiss she had ever experienced. He pulled away, her lip still caught in his teeth, before he let it snap back as he let go. Her eyes fluttered open at the loss of contact, but it wasn’t long before she felt his lips press against her chin. She tilted her head back automatically before her eyes snapped shut again, letting herself enjoy the touch while it lasted. She began to giggle when he began licking against her jawline, not only because it tickled, but because she realised what he was doing, he was eating the frosting.

It wasn’t until the oven beeped, signalling that the cake was ready however, that they stopped. They both turned their gaze to the oven, then back at each other, sheepish grins spreading over their faces. 

“Well that was fun.” Miranda said, breaking the silence, letting her hand fall from his hair down to her side. 

Gary lingered a little longer, before removing his arm from around her waist. “Yeah.” He said, slightly breathless. “Should uh, should probably check on the cake.” 

“Of course.” Miranda said, moving over to the kitchen bench and picking up a tea towel. “Here.” 

Gary took the towel and began wiping the food from his face. Miranda couldn’t help but laugh. 

“I meant for you to use that to get the cake out of the oven you muppet.” She said, grinning. “Though it probably is a good idea to clean up.” 

“Oh,” Gary said, laughing in disbelief at himself. 

Miranda swapped the tea towel in his hand for a clean one and watched as he brought the cake out of the oven. It smelt heavenly. She set up the cooling rack, and he flipped the cake onto it. They both looked down at their creation and grinned.

“Looks pretty good to me.” Miranda said. “Do you want to go get cleaned up while it cools down?”

“Oh yeah that’d be great.” Gary said with a smile. 

Miranda nodded and made her way to her bedroom. She picked up the bag of clothes by the door and brought them out. “Here. You can use the shower.” 

Gary smiled gratefully at Miranda as he took the bag from her and went into the bathroom. Once he had shut the door behind him, Miranda’s hand flew up to her mouth, covering the huge smile that spread across her face. She couldn’t believe her luck. Had that really just happened? She let her fingers trace over her lips and sighed happily, letting her hand fall to her side to grip the kitchen counter, steadying herself. 

A bit of frosting dropped to the floor, reminding her that she was covered in food and probably looked ridiculous. 

“Hurry up Gary!” she yelled, wiping frosting from her face into the sink. She managed to get most of the egg from her hair when Gary stumbled out of the bathroom, he was holding something. 

“Here.” He said, handing her one of his clean shirts. “To replace that one.” He added, gesturing at the dark blue shirt that was now covered in cake mix. 

Miranda’s fingers wrapped around the shirt and she smiled shyly, “Thanks.” She said softly, before making her way to the bathroom. “Why don’t you cut the cake and serve it, I won’t be too long.” 

Once she’d showered and gotten dressed in Gary’s dark grey shirt and her pyjama bottoms, she walked back out into the main area of the flat and joined Gary at the dining room table, where a piece of chocolate cake and ice cream awaited her. He smiled over at her, and gestured for her to try the cake first. Miranda willingly obliged and dipped her spoon into the cake, before popping it into her mouth. 

“Oh it’s awful Gary.” She muttered, taking another spoonful. “You wouldn’t like it at all. I think I’ll have to eat it all and save you the trouble of eating it.” She ate another spoonful, grinning. 

Gary shook his head and chuckled. “I helped you bake it. It’s only fair I help rid the world of it.” 

They fell silent again, each consumed by their thoughts. Once they’d finished eating their slices of cake Miranda offered to make Gary a cup of tea, but he declined. 

“I better get going actually. Work in the morning and everything.” He said, getting up from his chair. “Tonight was really fun.” He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, before heading to the door of the flat. 

“Wait,” Miranda whispered, reaching out to grab his arm. Gary turned to face her, his eyes questioning. She closed the gap between them and pecked him on the lips. “Goodnight.” She said, letting go of his arm and stepping back, she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks again. 

“Goodnight.” Gary said softly, standing in the doorway a little longer than normal, before shutting the door behind him and leaving.


	6. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Miranda finally tell Gary how she feels? Or will the pressure of the day stop her in her tracks?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I took forever to finish this story. Life, you know? That and I haven't been able to revisit Miranda since the show ended, because I am still heartbroken that it is over.  
> Anyway! Here's the final chapter to this story, I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Thanks to britishpastry and alfrescotree for being my beta’s!

Miranda had come down to the shop the next morning feeling like she was on cloud nine. It was probably due to her lack of sleep, but she couldn’t deny that what had happened the night before had been, well, electrifying. 

“Spill it.” Stevie said without missing a beat, two cups of tea in hand, as she ushered Miranda to sit down behind the counter before she could get away. 

Miranda blushed, heavily, before taking a sip of her drink and telling Stevie about the events that had occurred the night before. 

“You did what!?” Stevie said, mouth agape. 

“We baked a cake.” Miranda said, unable to stop the soft giggle that escaped from her lips. 

“The baking of the cake is irrelevant.” Stevie said, “You two snogged?” 

“Indeed. Yes. That was a thing that happened.” Miranda said, grinning now. 

“How was it?” Stevie asked, leaning forward on the counter eagerly. 

“Frosty.” 

“Frosty?”

“Yes. There was an unfortunate incident that resulted in a naked cake.” Miranda said, feeling her cheeks warm at the memory. “Tasted good though.” 

Stevie looked at her, brow raised, she obviously hadn’t understood. 

“There was a fight involving chocolate frosting.” 

“Ohhh.” Stevie said with a nod, “Phwoar!” 

“Phwoar indeed my little friend, but what do I do now? What does it all mean?” 

“You know exactly what it means Miranda.” Stevie said before standing up to go put her empty cup in the sink. 

“Do I though?” Miranda mumbled, confused. 

Stevie walked back into the shop and looked her best friend in the eye. Miranda sighed, she knew the look well; it meant that she was about to be given strict orders and that there would be no point arguing further. 

“You’re going to go over to that restaurant, pull Gary aside for a minute and have ‘the talk’.” Stevie said after a moment. 

“The talk?” Miranda asked, stalling. 

“You know damn well what I’m talking about. You’re going to drive yourselves insane if you continue ignoring what there is between you two.” Stevie moved behind the counter and grabbed Miranda’s hand, pulling her up before pushing her toward the door. 

“You should come with me.” Miranda stammered nervously as she got closer to the door. 

“No, I most certainly will not!” Stevie replied, smoothing down and straightening Miranda’s outfit. “You’re a big girl,” she added, gesturing to Miranda’s stature, “And big girls confess their feelings to the love of their lives on their own.”

“Oh no I can’t!” Miranda yelled, “What if I say the wrong thing? Or what if it scares him? Or me? I’m scared! Look at me!” Her voice had risen several octaves by now. 

Stevie grabbed Miranda by the arms and squeezed tightly. “Miranda!” She yelled, snapping her fingers in front of Miranda’s face. “You can do this. Say it.” 

“It.” Miranda mumbled. 

“Very funny.” Stevie said, rolling her eyes. “It’s time to be serious now!” 

“I hate you. You, you vertically challenged shrimp of a friend!” Miranda spluttered. 

“Love you too! Good luck!”

And with that, Miranda was pushed out of the shop, with the loud ‘click’ of the lock following soon after.

\--------------------------------------- 

“I’m so glad I ran into you Queen Kong.” Tilly said excitedly, her arm looped round Miranda’s. “I’ve been thinking about starting my own online blog for a spectaculant amount of time.” 

“I really wish you would stop calling me that Tilly.” Miranda sighed, glancing back to the now disappearing restaurant as they rounded the corner. 

“Of course I’ll need you to take a few different photos. Mainly of my super snaz outfits.” Tilly continued, completely oblivious to Miranda’s comments. “Oh and Fanny invited us over for afternoon tea. It is going to be a tremendulant day!”

“Absolutely marvilisimous.” Miranda said, trying her best to smile as they walked into Tilly’s flat. 

\--------------------------------------- 

It had taken hours to get enough photographs to satisfy Tilly; Miranda had never seen so much faux fur in her life! When it came time for afternoon tea, Miranda was hoping they’d pop into Gary’s restaurant, but there was no such luck. Tilly and Fanny had dragged her to the shopping mall, where she had had only enough time to order a takeaway tea and croissant, before she was quickly pressured into clothes shopping with the girls; her worst nightmare if ever there was one. 

“Where would you like to go Kongers?” Tilly asked as they left yet another shop. “I think it’s time we gave you a bit of a makeover, what do you think Fanny?”

“Oh yes yes of course! I just love a good makeover!” Fanny said with delight as she and Tilly linked arms with Miranda on either side. 

“I’d really rather not.” Miranda said reluctantly. 

“Oh come on Miranda! Please? We’ll just find one outfit and then we’ll all go to the salon and get our nails done. It’ll be great for my blog!” Tilly begged. 

Miranda sighed, “Okay. Just, can this not take too long? I need to go see Gary before the dinner rush, you know how it is.”

“You will not regret this, I promise you.” Tilly said excitedly, while Fanny squealed and clapped her hands together. 

“Makeover time!” They said in unison, whisking Miranda into the nearest shop. 

It was Miranda’s turn to try on outfit after outfit while the girls poked and prodded, ‘hmm’d’ and ‘ahh’d’. It wasn’t until she emerged from the dressing room in a simple black jumpsuit that Tilly and Fanny started grinning and ‘oooh-ing’ at her. 

“I am absolutely loving the lace across the top!” Fanny said excitedly. 

“Yes it is just stuns galore!” Tilly said, placing her hands on Miranda’s waist and pushing them in slightly. “A belt would just make this look, really show off your curves you know.” She added, before disappearing and returning with a black belt shortly after. 

“It’s not that bad actually.” Miranda mumbled, more to herself than the girls. She turned, resting her hand on her hip, winking as she watched her reflection. 

“You look great Queen Kong!” The girls said in unison. 

“Just maybe, don’t, do the whole winking thing, it just looks like you’ve got a twitch.” Tilly added. 

“You just have to buy it!” Fanny said, urging Miranda back into the dressing room. 

Miranda closed the curtain behind her and changed back into her own outfit. 

“Oh my god have you seen how much this costs? I can’t afford this!” she shrieked, “Who can afford to pay that much for glorified fabric?” 

“We can!” 

“Oh no no no…”

“Oh yes yes yes, hand it over.” Tilly said, snatching the jumpsuit and belt from Miranda’s hands before she could object. “It would just be unacceptamundo for you to leave without this. We’re buying it for you, end of.”

Ten minutes later Miranda found herself at a salon, with several women working on her hair, make up and nails, while Tilly and Fanny enjoyed a foot massage and pedicure close by. 

“Please don’t make me look like one of those Bratz dolls.” Miranda pleaded, “Ohhh that tickles!” she giggled as she squirmed in her seat. 

“Pampering is good for the soul Kong, you’ll see.” Tilly said dreamily. “Just let Genevieve and her team work, close your eyes and relax.” 

“I’m…trying…” Miranda said between giggles as one of the women attempted to paint her toenails.

Once Miranda’s giggles had faded, she managed to relax and closed her eyes. She wasn’t one to do this type of thing, and somewhat enjoy it; though she had to admit that this was relaxing, and she did love the way the jumpsuit looked on her. She couldn’t wait to show Stevie, and Gary. Oh Gary, her beloved Gary, the love of her life Gary, the Gary she was supposed to be confessing her love to. 

Miranda’s eyes sprung open. What on earth was she going to do? And why hadn’t Stevie called to interrogate her? Or at least ask where she had disappeared to? She had been gone all day! Something wasn’t right. 

\--------------------------------------- 

“You look tremendulant Miranda! Let me get a photo for my blog!” Tilly said as Miranda emerged from the salon change room, dressed in her new jumpsuit, with her hair, nails and make up all done. 

“Must you Tilly? I’m overwhelmed enough as it is!” Miranda replied, getting a glimpse of her completed look. Her hair had been washed and shined as it draped her face, her lips were a light shade of glossy pink and her eyes popped with a touch of eyeliner, mascara and eye shadow; and her nails were a shiny navy blue. She looked good. 

“Keep still! Pose for me! Less teeth Miranda less teeth!” Tilly ordered, taking shot after shot after shot.

“Okay okay enough of that now. I’m starting to feel like a show pony, or a child on the first day of school.” Miranda said, frantically shoving Tilly’s camera back into her bag. “And do I really have to be wearing this jumpsuit now? I’m just going home, it seems like a waste.” 

“It is deffo not a waste, just think of it as a test run.” Tilly said. 

“A test run for what? Awkward model Olympics?”

“What if we stop in at Gary’s restaurant for dinner?” Fanny interjected, “Then you’d have a reason to wear it.” 

“I am starvington stations,” Tilly said, thinking it over. “Could really go for a chickolora salad.”

“And I need to see Gary anyway.” Miranda mumbled, though she suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach. What would Gary think of all this? 

“We better get going then. Genevieve? Superb work, absolutely divine! Kisses!” Tilly called out to the girls in the salon, before taking Miranda by the arm and leading the trio outside. 

\--------------------------------------- 

“That’s weird.” Miranda said as they neared the restaurant. “It looks like it’s closed.” It looked as if all of the lights were out in the restaurant, which was odd because it was only six in the evening, the restaurant’s busiest time. 

Tilly walked up to the door and rapped on it three times. “Delivery!” she shouted, before taking Fanny by the arm and rushing away, the pair of them unable to hide their giggles. 

“Where are you two-?” Miranda began, before she was interrupted by the door of the restaurant opening. 

“Miranda.” Gary said, smiling shyly as he took in Miranda’s appearance. “You look beautiful.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I mean, not that you don’t look beautiful every other time. This is just, different, it’s nice. You look great no matter-.” 

“Gary?” Miranda interrupted, as her eyes travelled down his body, taking in the navy blue suit. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, yes of course everything is fine.” Gary stammered, opening the door a little wider and gesturing to the suit. “Stevie helped me pick this out, I thought it was a bit much but she insisted I buy it. Cost me an arm and a leg too.” 

“Gary,” Miranda said again, “You look great. But what on earth is going on? You’re acting so weird!” 

“Close your eyes.” Gary said suddenly, grabbing Miranda’s hand. “Just trust me, okay?” 

Miranda raised her eyebrow at him, but obeyed nonetheless. Her heart felt like it was racing a hundred miles an hour as Gary led her into the restaurant. She could hear the faint sounds of music in the restaurant, while her nose picked up the smells of something delicious, causing her stomach to grumble loudly. 

Gary couldn’t help but laugh. “Hungry?” he asked, gently pushing Miranda to sit down on one of the seats. 

“Starving.” Miranda replied, as Gary let go of her hand and sat down. 

“You can open your eyes now.” 

When Miranda opened her eyes she couldn’t help but gasp as her hand went to cover her mouth in surprise. There were candles, so many candles, glowing around the restaurant. Fairy lights had been strung along the walls, and the table where they sat had been sprinkled with rose petals; and three more candles had been placed in the center. It was simple, but it was beautiful. 

“What do you think?” Gary asked quietly after a moment. 

“Apart from the massive fire hazard?” Miranda said quirking an eye brow at Gary. “It’s beautiful.” 

“Ah well, about that,” Gary said, laughing softly, “They’re not real candles. I knew you’d worry otherwise.” 

Miranda laughed, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment. “You know me too well.” 

Gary reached forward and gently pried Miranda’s hands from her face, holding them in his for a moment. “I was going to do this later, but I don’t think I can wait any more.” He said quietly, his thumbs gently rubbing against Miranda’s hands, before he stood and moved to her side. 

“Gary?” Miranda stammered as she looked up at him wide eyed. 

Gary proceeded to get down on his knee, Miranda’s hands still in his. 

“Oh my god…” 

“I love you, Miranda.” Gary said after a moment, his gaze moving up to meet Miranda’s. He opened his mouth to speak further, but instead closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, steadying himself, giving Miranda’s hands a gentle squeeze. “I love you, so much, and when you nearly drowned.” His voice trailed off, and Miranda noticed the moisture gathering in his eyes. “I nearly lost you that day at the beach, Miranda. I don’t know what I would have done, if you…” he closed his eyes. 

“Hey now,” Miranda said gently, letting go of his hand so she could move his chin up to look at her. “I’m here. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Gary opened his eyes, Miranda was smiling down at him, tears welling in her eyes. 

“That day at the beach,” Gary began again, “It made me realise how precious life is. And how much I love you. I can’t imagine life without you, Miranda. It’s always been you.” 

Miranda let go of Gary’s hand and quietly rose to her feet before kicking the chair backwards gently and kneeling down in front of Gary. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him full on the mouth, her arms quickly moving to around his neck as his arms went around her waist, pulling themselves closer together. 

When they finally broke the kiss, they rested their foreheads against each other and just held each other for a moment. It was Miranda who broke the silence. 

“I love you too.” She whispered, before pecking Gary on the lips again.

“Will you marry me?” Gary asked, reaching down into his pocket and pulling out a velvet box. 

Miranda beamed as Gary opened the box, revealing a simple yet beautiful engagement ring. It was silver in colour, and in the center was a small square diamond. 

“Oh Gary, it’s perfect.” Miranda said, raising her left hand. “Yes. Yes of course I’ll marry you.” She said, watching as Gary slipped the ring onto her finger. She wiggled her fingers and watched it sparkle. 

Gary took her hand in his and kissed beside the ring, before leaning forward and placing another lingering kiss to her lips. They giggled and kissed and admired the ring for a few moments longer, before Miranda’s stomach let out a loud growl. 

“Oh my.” Miranda said with a laugh, pressing her hand against her abdomen. “Trust my gut to ruin a romantic moment.” She grinned. 

“I had planned on romancing you with my food first.” Gary said with a grin as he stood, pulling Miranda to her feet and bringing her chair back to the table. “I got carried away.” 

Miranda kissed him on the cheek before he disappeared into the kitchen. “You were so close to getting an A* for effort. So close.” She called out to him with a grin, as she listened to the clattering in the kitchen. 

A moment later Gary appeared with four plates of food, two on each arm. “I am going to earn that A*, just you wait.” He said as he set the plates down on the table. “Firstly with my excellent food.” He gestured for Miranda to sit down. “And then later, with dessert.” He added with a wink.


End file.
